One day at a time
by ask14sjk
Summary: When Dean receives a message from an old hunter girlfriend, the only woman he's ever loved, he's taken aback but pleased. But how will he react when he finds out her big secret. Is Dean ready for it? Or should he be running for the hills? (Rated T just in case)
1. Prologue

The story begins during 1x13. I basically created a character combining all of my favourite women Dean have been paired with (Cassie, Carmen and Lisa) and put my own little spin on it. If you are familiar with 1x13, and don't want to read it all over again I suggest skipping over the parts in brackets ({}) as they are basically just borrowed from the script. I know this can be tedious but they are there to help the story make more sense and to understand the prologue might seem a little dull, but I promise it gets interesting. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters.

**Prologue**

Dean struggled with his thoughts as he drove down to Cape Giradeau, Missouri. He hadn't seen her in nearly 4 years. He hadn't even heard from her. As a matter of fact she made it pretty clear that she never wanted to have anything to do with him the last time they parted. So whatever made her get it touch, it must be big.

"34N 40' 50.12'. Come Quick. – Carmen"

The text was curt and short but he got the message. She needed his help.

Dean looked around at the scenery, enjoying the low purr of the impala and the presence of his sleeping brother. His thoughts wandered to four years ago to his too short tryst with Carmen.

He was on a hunting trip with his dad in Texas. It was a werewolf and they were hot on its tail. John and Dean weaved through the jungle, chasing after the beast. It took him by surprise and came up behind him, pouncing him to the ground. As they wrestled and Dean tried to get free, a figure came to stand above him. Before he could react the figure drew a gun and shot the wolf. Straight in the heart. Silver bullet. He pushed the thing off him and got to his feet, that's when he saw her. The woman before him looked nothing like a hunter. If he had not seen her waste a werewolf he wouldn't have believed it. She was small and slim, but strong. He could tell by the way she held herself and the definition in her arms. Her long, wavy, brown hair cascaded down her back, all the way to her hips. She wore jeans and a black tank top. And in her hand was a gun. Dean was enchanted, most of all by her face. Soft, delicate features held in a scowl. But the most mesmerizing part of her was her eyes, hazel but a million different shades at once, playing with him. And in these eyes, he saw it; hurt, loss, pain, cruelty, all the signs of a missing childhood. He knew it well. But he also saw something else, hope, clarity? He couldn't tell but it was something.

"So, you're a hunter." She said.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I guessed you must've been since you didn't go screaming in the opposite direction." She smirked. I grinned, "well judging by your shot, I'm guessing we're in the same game. I'm Dean. Dean Winchester."

"Wait, Winchester? As in John Winchester?" she asked

"You know him?"

"Not in person, but I have heard about him. I know a friend of his, Bobby Singer."

"Bobby? Really?"

At this moment, his dad came running into the clearing. "I heard a shot. Did you get him?" he asked turning to Dean.

"I didn't, but she did. Dad this is ummm" he gestured to the beautiful woman whose name he still hadn't got. It never took him this long to get a name before.

"Carmen. Carmen Shye. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Winchester, I've heard a lot about you." She smiled. God her smile!

John furrowed his eyebrows, but didn't question her. "That was a good shot Carmen. We didn't realize there were other hunters on this case"

"It's just me sir. I got on this things tail in Montana. I think he's trying to create a cult or coven of sorts. People have been turning all over the place." She gestures to the wolf she shot, "including this one I found 3 in Missouri. I have reason to believe there are more out there, including the 'father'". She concluded with disgust etched on her face. "That's what they call him."

"Well in that case it's a good thing we came. Looks like you could use some help."

As they were making their way out of the clearing Dean turned to Carmen, "You saved my ass back there, I could've handled it but thank you."

"Yeah I saw how you were handling it" she smirked, "and you're welcome, but don't make a habit of it"

Over the next few days, Dean and Carmen got better acquainted. She told him her story, he told his. He opened up to her in a way he never had with anyone. Days turned to weeks and weeks to months, and they grew closer still. He told her about his mom and his dad's divine mission. He told her about the yellow-eyed demon and his childhood, how he was raised on the road. Raised to be a soldier. He talked about Sammy, his little brother. And in turn Carmen opened up to him, told him about how she got into hunting. How she lost her whole family to werewolf.

Two months in, they found the 'father'. The werewolf who had been turning people and put an end to the case.

"Come with me" she said, as they lay in bed 'celebrating' their victory. Her head was resting on his bare chest; Dean held her in a warm embrace, one hand stroking her hair the other entwined with hers. "We could hunt together. This whole lone wolf thing gets to you after a while."

He considered her offer. It was beyond tempting. As a matter of fact, he could think of nothing he wanted more. He had never felt this way about anybody.

"Yes" he said into her hair. "As long as there is more of this involved", he said slowly kissing his way down to her neck and nibbling at her ear.

She giggled, "Oh I have it on good authority that there definitely will be" she said as they continued their celebration.

His joy however, was short lived. When he broached the subject to his dad, he was met with a wave of disagreement. "No way Dean! You are not going hunting with a random girl you just met. We don't know anything about her!"

"She's not random dad! She's a hunter just like us. And a damn good one at that. Plus you heard Bobby, she means as much to him as we do." Dean argued.

"No means no Dean! I've already lost one of my sons, I'm not gonna lose you too!"

That's when Dean understood what this was about. Sam. Since the day Sammy left for college John had been on edge. Dean could tell his father was worried about Sam, but he couldn't do anything about it so he compensated by keeping an extra tight hold on Dean. Looking at his father he saw the man who lost everything. The man driven by one thing and one thing only, revenge. But most of all he saw a defeated man. And he couldn't defeat him further. "Okay dad."

That night as Dean walked towards Carmen's motel room, he went through what he was going to say. But no matter what it never sounded anything like what he wanted to say. So he told her the curt, short version. "I can't go with you. I'm staying with my dad."

The expression on her face didn't change, "well I guess I kinda expected that", but Dean could see the hurt in her hazel eyes, older than the rest of her. And he hated himself for putting it there.

She extended her hand towards him, "so this is goodbye then…" Dean looked from the hand to her face and back to the hand again.

"A handshake? This is how you want to say goodbye?"

"Well asking you to get out seemed rude" anger and betrayal were stamped on her face. And now they were on his too.

"What did you expect? That I would just drop everything, leave my family and come with you?"

"No I didn't, but you didn't exactly seem on the fence about it in bed this morning!" tears clouded her eyes, but she was adamant, she would not let them fall. "All these years in this goddamn job and I still haven't learnt not to trust people."

"Well I hope you learnt your lesson then" Dean seethed as he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. He heard the door slam behind him as he walked, furious to the impala.

The impala jerked as they went over a speed bump, jolting Sam awake. "Where are we?" he asked groggily.

"Just outside Cape Giradeau."

"I thought we were going to Montana?"

"I got a text from an old friend. And she needs our help."

Sam looked at Dean confused, "and by old friend you mean…."

"A friend that's not new."

Sam's smiled and nodded in understanding, "What's her name?"

"Why do you think…Carmen. Her name is Carmen. I met her a few years ago while working a case. And now she needs our help."

"How come you never mentioned her?"

"Haven't I?"

Sam looked at Dean expectantly.

"Yeah okay. We went out."

"You mean you dated somebody? For more than one night."

"Am I speaking a language you're not getting here? Dad and I were working a job in Ohio. We went out for a coupla weeks. And now she's called about a case."

"Yeah that's the other thing, how does she know what we do? I mean you're all about keeping people in the dark and what not."

Dean looks shifty.

"You told her. You told her, the secret! Our big family rule number one. We do what we do and we shut up about it. For a year and a half I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a coupla times and you tell her everything? "

"Calm your shit Sammy, she's a hunter. She went through a similar childhood. Driven into hunting by revenge."

"You told her about mom? Wow she must have been a close friend." Sam looked at Dean quizzically. Dean avoided Sam's gaze and looked determinedly out the window.

"Oh my God! She was. Did you love her?"

"What?! Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. We had a thing but it was brief and it ended badly. That's it."

"If it ended badly, why is she calling you for help?"

"I don't know. Whatever it is it must be big."

As he and Sam walked towards the motel room, a thousand things went through his mind. How would she react? What would she say? What should he say? He had a feeling that although it'd been 4 years and she had contacted him and asked him to be there, things would be strained between them. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened and there she was. Just as he remembered her. The same small frame, the same beautiful face framed with dark brown hair. She even dressed the same way. Jeans and a black tank; simple but unbelievably sexy. And her eyes. The same hazel eyes that transported him to better times. Her mouth turned up into a reluctant smile.

"Dean. I wasn't sure of you'd turn up." She said, a slight edge to her tone.

"How could I not? Bobby called, said it was vital that we come so…"

"Oh. Right." Was it just him, or did she look disappointed? What did she want him to say, that he was waiting to hear from her? That he sped here the moment he got her text? Like that's gonna happen. If that's what she wanted she'd be waiting a long time. They stood there staring at each other. Each one daring the other to back down. Neither was going to.

Sam cleared his throat, jerking the two of them back to reality.

"Hey. You must be Sam." She gave him her wide, eye-crinkling smile. It made Dean kinda jealous.

"Yeah that's me. And you're Carmen."

"Yup, one and only. I've heard a lot about you Sam. It's good to finally meet you."

"You too. I've uh…heard much about you too."

Carmen smiled and narrowed her eyes, "you are a terrible liar" she grinned. "Well come on in, and I'll fill you in on the case."

The three of them moved to the dining table that was strewn with books and papers. A laptop was open on a newspaper article. Carmen had clearly settled in to her temporary shelter.

"You've been here long?" Dean asked.

"Yeah well I came to rid a house of a poltergeist. But a few days ago something else happened. It's weird and I can't handle it alone. That's why I called Bobby." She picks up something from the table and hands it to the boys, "there was an accident a few night ago not far from here. It's a long stretch of road, not very crowded. A Mr. Samuel Robinson driving a black sedan, totaled into pulp, ran himself off a cliff. There are no tire tracks or any indication whatsoever of what did it."

"Couldn't it have been just a road accident?" asked Sam.

"Yeah but this is the second one in 3 weeks. The first was man named Clayton Clarence. Same stretch of road, same everything."

"Did you have a look at the bodies?" Dean asked, looking up from the case file.

"Yup, nothing out of the ordinary. Well, heads smashed in, internal bleeding broken ribs and spines. But nothing out of the ordinary for us. Hearts still in, no unusual punctures or wounds." Carmen made her way around the table and picked up a notepad.

"I talked to the second vic's family, the Robinsons, his daughter, Cassie, said Samuel complained of seeing things for a few days before he died. According to the daughter her father saw 'an awful looking black truck following him' he didn't talk about the driver just the truck."

"So what are we thinking? Vanishing truck?" Sam asked, skeptically.

"Is it really the weirdest thing we've come across?" Carmen asked, raising her eyebrows at the brothers.

"Alright then, what now?" Dean asked, placing the case file he'd been holding onto the pile of stuff on the table.

"I wanted to talk to Cassie a bit more, and maybe some of Samuel's friends."

"Sounds great" Dean said, moving towards the door, "we'll leave as soon as we get a room."

**{**The three hunters made their way towards the newspaper office where Cassie worked. She was having a heated discussion with the mayor.

"Jimmy meant something to this town. He was one of our best. We won't be the same without him." they heard the mayor say as they approached.

"Our best seem to be dropping like flies. Clayton, my father, Jimmy." Came Cassie's reply.

"What is it exactly you want me to do?"

"How bout closing this section of road for starters?" Cassie suggested.

"Close the main road. The only road in and out of town? Accidents do happen Cassie, and that's what they are. Accidents." Insisted the mayor.

Sam, Dean and Carmen approach and stand behind Cassie.

"Did the cops check for additional denting on Jimmy's car, see if it was pushed?" asked Dean.

"Who's this?" the mayor asked Cassie.

"Federal agents" Carmen said as all three of them pulled out their ID's.

"Since when is this a matter for the FBI? There's one set of tire tracks. One… doesn't point to foul play."

"Two people dying the exact same way, on the same stretch of road. It seems suspicious." Said Carmen.

The mayor still looked suspicious so she carried on, "we don't question authority Mr. Mayor we just go where they send us."

Cassie continued, "Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you. If you're indifferent about..."

"Indifferent!"

"Would you close the road if the victims were white?" asked Cassie.

The mayor turned indignant "You suggesting I'm racist Cassie? I'm the last person you should talk to like that."

"And why is that." Asked Cassie.

"Why don't you ask your mother?"

And with that the Mayor turned his heel and walked out of the office.

Sam turned to Cassie, "you think this is a racial attack?"

"All three victims were black. You don't think that's a bit of a coincidence?" she asked looking from Sam to Carmen. "Please excuse me, I have some work to attend to. My editor just died." She looked on the verge of tears as she turned away.

"Wow a third vic. Do you think there's anything in Cassie's racist theory? Are looking for a racist ghost truck?" Dean asked scowling.

"I don't know but it's worth looking into."**}**

"Well I gotta say, she's not what I'd expected at all. She's fierce." Sam comments as he puts on his suit. They came back to the motel to re-group.

"Mm-hmm." Replied Dean, fixing his tie in the mirror.

"Bet she kicked your ass a coupla times." Sam grinned.

Dean glances at him then returns to the mirror.

"I like her. And I can see why dad liked her…"

"What do you mean dad liked her…?" Dean turns to look at Sam, confused.

"Well he doesn't exactly get along with people Dean. I mean if he trusted her enough to hunt together…that's big."

Dean looks into the mirror thoughtfully.

"You meet someone like her, doesn't it makes you wonder if it's worth it? Putting everything else on hold, doing what we do?"

Dean doesn't say anything, just looks thoughtfully into the mirror.

"What's interesting is you guys never really look at each other at the same time. You look at her when she's not looking, she checks you out when you look away. (Grinning) It's just a...just an interesting observation in a...you know...observationally interesting way."

"You think we might have more pressing issues here?" Dean asks his grinning brother.

"Hey, if I'm hitting a nerve."

Dean, turning away, "Let's go."

Sam snickers.

**{**EXTERIOR. DAY. DOCKS.

DEAN and SAM walking down a pier. A few people are fishing. They approach two older men having lunch.

SAM: Excuse me. Are you Ron Stubbins?

RON nods.

DEAN: You were friends with Jimmy Anderson?

RON: Who are you?

DEAN: We're Mr Anderson's insurance company. We're just here to dot 'I's' and cross 'T's'.

SAM: We were just wondering, had the deceased mentioned any unusual recent experiences?

RON: What do you mean, unusual?

SAM: Well visions, halluinations.

DEAN: It's part of a medical examination kind of thing. All very standard.

RON: What company did you say you were with?

DEAN: All National Mutual. Tell me, did he ever mention seeing a truck? A big black truck?

RON: What the hell you talking about? You even speaking English?

RON'S FRIEND: Son this truck, a big scary monster looking thing?

DEAN: Yeah actually, I think so.

FRIEND: Hmm.

DEAN: What?

Friend: I have heard of a truck like that.

SAM: You have. Where?

FRIEND: Not where. When. Back in the '60s there was a string of deaths. Black men. Story goes, they disappeared in a big, nasty, black truck.

DEAN: They ever catch the guy who did it?

FRIEND: Never found him. Hell, not sure they even really looked. See there was a time, this town wasn't too friendly to all it's citzens.

SAM: Thank you.

SAM and DEAN make their way back down the pier to the Impala.

DEAN: Truck.

SAM: Keeps coming up doesn't it?

DEAN: You know, I was thinking. You heard of the flying dutchman?

SAM: Yeah, a ghost ship, infused with the Captain's evil spirit. It was basically part of him.

DEAN: (Nodding) So what if we're dealing with the same thing? You know, a phantom truck, an extension of some bastard's ghost, re-enacting past crimes.

SAM: The victims have all been black men.

DEAN: I think it's more than that. They all seem connected to Cassie and her family.

SAM: All right. Well, you work that angle, go talk to Carmen and fill her in. She should be with Cassie now.

DEAN: Yeah I will.

SAM: Oh, and you might also wanna mention that other thing.

DEAN: What other thing?

SAM: The serious, unfinished business?

DEAN remains obstinately silent.

SAM: (huffs a laugh) Dean, what is going on between you two?

DEAN: All right, so maybe we were a little bit more involved than I said.

SAM: (staring at DEAN, waiting) Oh, Ok.

DEAN: OK, a lot more. Maybe. And I told her our secret, about what we do. And I shouldn't have.

SAM: Ah look man, everybody's gotta open up to someone sometime.

DEAN: Yeah I don't. It was stupid to get that close. I mean, look how it ended.

SAM smiles at DEAN.

DEAN: Would you stop!

SAM keeps staring and smiling.

DEAN: Blink or something!

SAM: You loved her.

DEAN: Oh God.

DEAN turns to the Impala.

SAM: You were in love with her, but you dumped her.

DEAN is silent. He stares at the ground, glances at SAM, then looks back to the ground.

SAM: Oh wow. She dumped you.

DEAN: Get in the car. (Getting in himself) Get in the car!**}**

"Hey, I thought you were with Cassie" Dean said, stepping into Carmen's motel room. "Sam and I we've been doing some digging and I think we found something." Quickly he filled her in on everything.

"That makes sense I suppose. I was thinking of what the mayor said yesterday. About how he's the last person you should accuse of being racist. I asked Cassie to broach the subject to her mom but I don't think it ended well. She's been avoiding me." Carmen was looking straight ahead. Determined to look anywhere but at Dean. "Where's Sam?"

"Not here. Wow you can't even look at me huh?"

"What?" she asked, "its nothing like that." She seemed defensive.

"So then why did you ask me where Sam was?"

"Nothing. It's not important."

"Could it be because, without him here it's just you and me? Not you, me and Sam which would be easier?"

Carmen shook her head, a sad smile on her lips, "it's not easier, I…" she trailed looking away. "You want a beer?"

"Yeah that'd be great."

Carmen walked to the fridge. Dean observed her, her strong, confident gait. Her shapely body. She picked up to bottles and turned to him, handing him one. "Let's just keep this strictly professional okay?" she said opening her beer and taking a swig.

Dean stared at her, "I forgot you did that" he shaked his head.

"Do what?"

"I forgot how easy it was for you to back off and close the door on me. To go from personal to professional in a matter of seconds" he said the words casually, but Carmen looked like he had slapped her.

"Close the door on you? You left me! I asked you to stay; I wanted you to stay. Nothing between us was ever professional! You wanted to leave, if anyone got slammed in the face it was me!" she was livid. How dare he turn this on her?

Offended, Dean barked out a laugh "Oh that's hilarious." He walked back to stand in front of her "See, I'm not the one who took that big final door and slammed it behind me. "

" Ok wait a minute... "

"And I'm not the one who took the key and buried it. "

"We done with this metaphor? "

"All I'm saying is just because we couldn't hunt together didn't mean we had to sever all relationships. I wanted you in my life."

"Then why didn't you say anything?" she shouted, close to tears now "why didn't you come back? You left. I trusted you and I opened up to you and you left."

"You made it pretty clear that you wanted nothing to do with me." Dean raised his voice. "The way you dealt with it, me telling you I had to go with my dad, you trivialized it. You made it feel like it was nothing."

"I was trying to make it easier. On the both of us."

"Well it didn't work." Shouted Dean, his eyes glistening. Carmen was taken aback by his moist eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." She shouted back.

"Well you did."

"I'm sorry"

"Yeah me too"

They stare at each other, and then start making out furiously. They make their may onto the musty, creaky bed and drop onto it making love.

Dean lies on his back, his arm around Carmen tucked against his side.

"We should fight more often", Carmen said moving closer to Dean.

"Hmmm absolutely" he said, absently running his fingers up and down her arm.

"Actually we were always pretty good at fighting. (Indicating their position) This we were good at. But it's the forgiving that we had a problem with. The talking."

"Hey I opened up to you. More than I have with anyone."

"Yeah me too. It was a big first for me."

"Why'd you do it?"

"I don't know…I guess I couldn't lie to you. What about you?"

"Same. I trusted you. I don't know why but I did." He paused, "I still do."

He felt her smile.

"You wanna hear some more truth?" she asked. She seemed nervous. "I didn't really need help with the case. I mean its weird and all but I was going to handle it. But then I called Bobby, and he mentioned you were in the area. So I kinda insinuated that I was in over my head and he said he'd send you two over." She lowered her gaze, blushing.

"You hustled me here?" Dean asked grinning. Carmen pretended to look affronted.

"It was a moment of weakness. I texted you in case Bobby couldn't convince you. I thought maybe if you saw that I was taking an initiative…"

"It was a very clever and well laden plan. Just to get me in bed." He smirked.

"Yeah not exactly," she seemed to be looking for the right words, and coming up short "I guess I was just tired of doing this alone. It can really get to you. No matter how much you try to keep a brave face. These things scare the shit out of me!"

"Yeah, its part of the job. Its scary, inexplicable but we deal with it. But working things out with you…reaching out…"

"Yeah I'm a scary one alright." She grinned.

"Well, hustle or not I'm glad you called."

Carmen tensed ever so slightly, and slowly got up and turned towards Dean holding the sheet up to her chest. She looked nervous as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Umm the thing is there's more…a bigger reason why I called you."

Seeing the worry etched on her face, Dean sits up too. "What is it?"

Just as Carmen opens her mouth, the phone rings. It's Sam.

**{**EXTERIOR. FIELD.

It is snowing. DEAN and Carmen approach SAM, who is talking to a cop.

SAM: (putting away some sort of ID) They're with me.

The cop leaves. SAM turns to DEAN with a half smile.

SAM: Where were you last night? You didn't make it back to the hotel.

DEAN: Well...

SAM" "I'm guessing you guys worked things out?" lowering his voice.

DEAN: We'll be working things out when we're ninety. So what happened?

SAM: Every bone crushed. Internal organs turned to pudding. The cops are all stumped, it's like something ran him over.

CARMEN: Something like a truck?

SAM: Yep.

DEAN: Tracks?

SAM: Nope.

DEAN: What was the Mayor doing here anyway?

SAM: He owned the property. Bought it a few weeks ago.

CARMEN: But he's white, he doesn't fit the pattern.

SAM: Killings didn't happen up on the road. That doesn't fit either. **}**

Back at the newspaper office Carmen makes two mugs of tea and takes them over to where DEAN sits at a computer.

CARMEN: Here.

DEAN: Thanks. So I'm trying to find some link between those killings back in the '60s and what's going on now. There wasn't a lot about it in the paper.

CARMEN: Not surprising. Probably minimal policework too. Back then equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here.

DEAN wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?

CARMEN: uhh yeah. Later, let's finish this up first.

DEAN: Okay. (his phone rings) Yeah?

SAM: (On phone) Ok, the courthouse records show that Mr and Mrs Mayor bought an abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family for, like, 150 years.

DEAN: Dorian?

SAM: Yeah.

DEAN: (To Carmen) Didn't you say the Dorian family used to own this paper?

CARMEN: (Nodding) Along with everything else around here. Real pillars of the town.

DEAN: Right, right.

DEAN clicks a few links on the computer.

DEAN: That's interesting.

SAM: What?

DEAN: This Cyrus Dorian. He vanished in April of ' case was investigated but never solved. It was right around the time the string of murders was going on back then.

SAM: Well I pulled a bunch of papers up on the Dorian place, it musta been in bad shape when the Mayor bought.

DEAN: Why's that?

SAM: The first thing he did was bulldoze the place.

DEAN (to Carmen) Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?

CARMEN: (looking at some old papers) Yup. It was a big deal. One of the oldest houses left. He made the front page.

DEAN: (To Sam) You got a date?

SAM: Ahhh. The 3rd of last month.

DEAN: (clicking, then reading from computer screen) Mayor Todd bulldozed the Dorian family home on the 3rd. The first killing was the very next day.

CARMEN: we need to get to Cassie.

Cassie wanders around with a glass of something. As she puts it down on the desk the lights flicker and she hears a reving engine outside. Headlights shine through the slats of the blinds and she hurriedly closes them. The truck starts making passes at the house and Cassie. terrified, runs from room to room closing the blinds. She races for her phone and dials a number.

"Hello, Agent Micheals I…(screams)"

**{**SAM hands Cassie a cup of tea. CARMEN sits beside her

CASSIE: (Hands shaking, rattling the cup) Maybe you could throw a couple of shots in that.

SAM: You didn't see who was driving the truck.

CASSIE: It seemed to be no one. Everything was moving so fast. And then it was just gone. Why didn't it kill us?

CARMEN: Whoever was controlling the truck wants you afraid first.

SAM: Mrs Robinson, Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died.

MRS ROBINSON is shaking.

CASSIE: Mom?

MRS ROBINSON: Oh. Martin was under a lot of stress. You can't be sure about what he was seeing.

DEAN: Well after tonight I think we can be reasonably sure he was seeing a truck. What happened tonight, you and Cassie are marked. Ok? Your daughter could die. So if you know something now would be a really good time to tell us about it.

CARMEN: Dean… (reproachfully)

MRS ROBINSON: Yes. Yes, he said he saw a truck.

SAM: Did he know who it belonged to?

MRS ROBINSON: He thought he did.

DEAN: Who was that?

MRS ROBINSON: (getting upset) Cyrus. A man named Cyrus.

SAM and DEAN look at each other, DEAN reaches for his bag and shows MRS ROBINSON the newspaper article about DORIAN'S death.

DEAN: Is this Cyrus?

MRS ROBINSON: Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago.

CARMEN: (softly) How do you know he died, Mrs Robinson? The paper's said he went missing. How do you know he died?

MRS ROBINSON: We were all very young. I dated Cyrus a while, I was also seeing Martin...in secret of course. Inter-racial couples didn't go over too well back then. When I broke it off with Cyrus and when he found out about Martin, I don't know, he, changed. His hatred. His hatred was frightening.

SAM: The murders.

MRS ROBINSON: (sounding upset) There were rumours. People of colour disappearing into some kind of a truck. Nothing was ever done. Martin and a... Martin and I, we were gunna be, uh, married in that little church near here, but last minute we decided to elope as we didn't want the attention.

DEAN And Cyrus?

MRS ROBINSON: (completely breaking down) The day we set for the wedding, was the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practising in there. They all died.

SAM: (softly) Did the attacks stop after that?

MRS ROBINSON: (Sobbing) No! There was one more. One night that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible. But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus and he just kept hitting him and hitting him.

DEAN: Why didn't you call the cops?

MRS ROBINSON: (crying) This was forty years ago. He called on his friends, Clayton Clarence and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and they rolled it into the swamp at the end of his land and all three of them kept that secret all of these years.

SAM: And now all three are gone.

DEAN: And so is Mayor Todd. Now he said that you of all people would know he is not a racist. Why would he say that?

MRS ROBINSON: He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then investigating Cyrus' disappearence. Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done he...he did nothing, because he also knew what Cyrus had done.

CASSIE: Why didn't you tell me?

MRS ROBINSON: (Still crying) I thought I was protecting them. And now there's no one left to protect.

CARMEN: Yes there is.

She looks at Cassie. So does MRS ROBINSON, looking shaken.**}**

SAM and CARMEN lean against Impala, DEAN walks up and down.

SAM: Ah, my life was so simple. Just school, exams, papers on polycentric cultural norms.

CARMEN: Stanford right?

DEAN: So I guess I saved you from a boring existence.

SAM: Yeah, occasionally I miss boring.

DEAN: So this killer truck.

SAM: I miss conversations that didn't start with 'this killer truck'. Ahhh

CARMEN laughs.

DEAN: (laughing a little) Well this Cyrus guy. Evil on a level that infected even his truck. When he died, the swamp became his tomb, and his spirit was dormant for 40 years.

SAM: So what woke it up?

CARMEN: I'm guessing the construction on his house. Or the destruction.

SAM: Right. Demolition or remodelling can awaken spirits, make them restless.

DEAN: Mmm-hmm.

SAM: Like that theatre in Illonois, ya know?

DEAN: And the guy that tore down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy that kept Cyrus' murder quiet and unsolved.

SAM: So now his spirit is awakened and out for blood.

DEAN: Yeah I guess. Who knows what ghosts are thinking anyway.

SAM: You know we're going to have to dredge that body up from the swamp right.

DEAN smiles at him.

SAM: Man.

CARMEN: sometimes this job really sucks.

DEAN: You said it.

SAM: Yeah.

CARMEN approaches from the house. Dean stands.

DEAN: Hey.

CARMEN: Hey. They're asleep. Now what?

DEAN: Well you should stay put and look after her... and we'll be back. Don't leave the house.

CARMEN: (Smiling) don't go getting all authoritative on me. I hate it.

DEAN glances behind him to SAM. SAM looks down, grinning.

DEAN: (Mumbling) Don't leave the house please?

CARMEN blinks slowly at DEAN and he leans in to kiss her, smiling.

SAM glances over, grinning at them making out, and clears his throat. DEAN keeps kissing CARMEN, holding one finger back at SAM to wait.

DEAN: (breaking his kiss) You comin' or what?

**{**EXTERIOR. NIGHT. THE DORIAN PROPERTY.

SAM: All right. Let's get her up.

DEAN is at the wheel of a tractor. He backs it up, pulling a truck from the water.

SAM: All right. A little more. Little more. All right, stop.

DEAN: turns off the engine and jumps down.

SAM Nice.

DEAN: (moving to the trunk of the Impala) Hell yeah.

SAM: Now I know what she sees in you.

DEAN: (rummaging among the weapons) What?

SAM: Come on man, you can admit it. You're still in love with her.

DEAN: Ahh, can we focus please.

SAM: I'm just saying Dean.

DEAN: (handing SAM something from the trunk) Hold that.

SAM: All right. What am I getting?

DEAN: (In business mode) Gas. Flashlight...

SAM: Got it. got it.

DEAN: Ok, let's get this done.

SAM: All right.

DEAN: (Lowering the trunk of the Impala)Got it.

They move toward the door of the truck, glance at each other. DEAN opens it. A decayed body falls out.

{EXTERIOR. NIGHT. DORIAN PROPERTY.

DEAN: All right let's get to it.

They salt and burn the body and stand watching.

SAM: Think that'll do it?

The ghost truck appears, headlights come on and engine reving.

DEAN: I guess not.

SAM: So burning the body had no effect on that thing?

DEAN: Sure it did. Now it's really pissed.

SAM: But Cyrus' ghost is gone, right Dean?

DEAN: (starting to walk away) Apparently not the part that's fused with the truck.

SAM: Where you going?

DEAN: Goin' for a little ride.

SAM: What!

DEAN: Gonna lead that thing away. That busted piece of crap, you gotta burn it.

SAM: How the hell am I supposed to burn a truck Dean?

DEAN: I don't know. Figure something out.

SAM: (catching the bag Dean throws at him) Figure some - something - (Sam sputters)

DEAN reverses the Impala and takes off. The ghost truck roars after him. SAM hides until it has passed. DEAN and the Impala lead the truck on a wild ride through the misty back roads.

SAM'S phone rings. "Hey, you gotta give me a minute."

DEAN: I don't have a minute. What are we doing?

SAM: Ahh. Let me get back to you. (he hangs up)

DEAN: (astounded) Get back to me?

SAM: (On phone again) Hey Carmen? Hey, it's Sam, I need some information and it has to be exactly right.

SAM: (back on the phone with DEAN) All right, Dean?

DEAN: This better be good.

SAM: Where are you?

DEAN: In the middle of no where with a killer truck on my ass! It's like it knows I put the torch to Cyrus.

SAM: Listen to me, this is important. I have to know exactly where you are.

DEAN: (Looking at a road sign as the Impala roars passed) Decatur road, about two miles off the highway.

SAM: Ok. Headed East?

DEAN: Yes!

The Truck backends the Impala, which goes skidding all over the road before regaining traction.

DEAN: You son of a bitch!

SAM: Ok, ahhh, turn right! Up ahead, turn right.

DEAN: swings right, the truck follows, both engines screaming and reving.

SAM: You make the turn?

DEAN: Yeah I made the turn! You need to move this thing along a little faster.

SAM: All right, you see a road up ahead?

DEAN: No! Wait. No, yes, I see it.

The truck is slowly gaining ground on the Impala's left side.

SAM: Ok, Turn left.

DEAN: Wha...?

Grimacing, DEAN slams on the brakes and the truck careens past as he spins the Impala left onto the smaller road.

DEAN: All right, now what?

SAM: You need to go seven tenths of a mile and then stop.

DEAN: Stop?

SAM: Exactly seven tenths Dean.

DEAN: (looking at the speedometer) Seven tenths, seven tenths.

At the right moment DEAN spins the car around and moves it back to sit exactly where SAM advised, facing back the way he had come. He is between to posts on each side of the road and the last remains of a wall, almost totally broken down. The ghost truck appears back down the road he came down, revving it's engine.

SAM: Dean, You still there?

DEAN: Yeah.

SAM: What's happening?

DEAN: It's just staring at me, what do I do?

SAM: Just what you are doing, bringing it to you.

Dean: Wha...

The truck spins it's tyres and comes barreling toward DEAN and the Impala. DEAN watches it come, hanging tightly to the Impala's steering wheel.

DEAN: Come on Come on.

As it reaches him he closes his eyes and hangs on tight. The truck roars through him, disintergrating into nothing as it does so. DEAN opens his eyes and stares at the now empty road in front of him. All that can be heard is the purring of the Impala's engine, the truck's reving having completely disappeared. DEAN twists quickly to look behind and sees nothing.

SAM: Dean. You still there? Dean?

DEAN: (looking shocked) Where'd it go?

SAM: Dean, you're where the church was.

DEAN: What church!

SAM: The place Cyrus burned down. Murdered all those kids.

DEAN: (looking at the posts left on the side of the road) There's not a whole lot left.

SAM: Church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed, so I figured, maybe, that would get rid of it.

DEAN: Maybe? Maybe! What if you were wrong?

SAM: Huh. Honestly that thought hadn't occured to me.

DEAN: (Stares at his phone, then hangs up. Mimics) Well it honestly didn't occur to me. (DEAN slaps the steering wheel) I'm gonna kill him.**}**

Carmen and Dean walk towards the impala. Sam's packing up the trunk. Carmen walks towards Sam, "that was a real smart move last night Sam. Guess we know how you got into Stanford." She grinned hugging him.

"Thanks, and I'll return those books as soon as I'm done."

"Ah take your time with them."

Sam gets into the drivers seat.

Carmen turns to Dean, "books?" he asks raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah just a few books on lore and Greek mythology. They're really rare, thought Sam might be interested. He's a lot like me" she smiles fondly.

"Well this is a better goodbye than last time. So…you gonna finish what you started telling me or what?"

Carmen hesitates for a moment. "Yeah I guess…I don't know how exactly…" she trails off looking at the ground hoping it would give her all the answers. "To tell you the truth I haven't decided if I want to tell you yet. I called you thinking that I would make a decision once you get here but…I don't know."

Dean scowled in confusion. First she wants to tell him then she doesn't. Women are truly confusing.

Carmen finally looks up from the ground and for a second their eyes meet, and she makes her decision. Even though this is going to be incredibly difficult for her, and is probably going to turn her life upside down; she had to. He deserved to know the truth. But she couldn't form the words. "How about I show you instead?" she asked raising her eyebrows in hope. "Fancy a trip?"

"Where to?"

"Cicero, Indiana."


	2. Chapter 1

Carmen got behind the wheel of her jeep and started the long drive home. The impala cruised along behind her. Her head was swimming with a million thoughts and scenarios, none of them good. "This is a terrible idea," she breathed. Her heart was pounding, her head was hurting and she was having difficulty breathing. At this rate it was highly unlikely she'd make it home, she needed to calm down. She put on some AC/DC and concentrated on her breathing. In and out, in and out. It really wasn't that complicated.

xxxxxxxxxxx

"Okay so why are we going to Indiana?" Sam asked his brother who was riding shotgun, trying to sleep but in vain.

"I don't know. Carmen said she wanted to show me something." He replied, unsatisfied with his own answer.

"What? What is so important that she has to show you now? In Indiana?" Sam pressed on.

"Sam if I knew I'd be a lot less frustrated. But I don't know and it's killing me just as much as it's killing you okay?" Dean said raising his voice. "I'm not thrilled to be making this trip but I don't know man…" he hesitated, shaking his head, "something about the way she talked about it. She was…nervous. And hesitant." He looked at his brother, "Carmen is just about the most strong-willed, iron steady people I know. She doesn't get nervous, not that way."

He gazed out the window thoughtfully. Whatever it was it made Carmen nervous. That made him uncomfortable.

Carmen slowed in front of one of the houses in a very homey, all-American looking residential area. She parked her car in the garage; Sam parked the impala in the driveway. It and its occupants looked completely out of place in the sensible surroundings.

"Where are we?" asked Dean, getting out of the impala.

"Home" Carmen answered. "This is my house." She made her way to the door. Slowly, taking each step with deliberate care and caution, like she was walking around a ticking time bomb. Well, towards more like.

"What did you forget to walk?" Dean asked, his annoyance at the suspense getting the better of him. "What the hell is going on? Why are you so nervous and fidgety?"

Carmen looked from Dean's annoyed, irritated expression to Sam's confused, slightly worried one.

"You'll find out soon enough." She replied. She walked up the two steps to the door and turned the look with resolved determination. "Like a Band-Aid," she thought to herself. She opened the door and stepped into the foyer, the boys right behind her. In the corner of her eye, she sees Dean take out his gun.

"What the hell are you doing? Put that away..." just as she reaches for the gun, a high-pitched voice resonates through the house, "Mommy!"

xxxxxxxx

"This whole situation is off", thought Dean as he and Sam followed Carmen into her house. Something wasn't right and he'd be damned if whatever it was caught him with his pants down. He slowly reached behind him and pulled his gun from his waistband and held it in position. But he wasn't inconspicuous enough.

"What the hell are you doing? Put that away…" Carmen said under her breath. Why was she whispering, and did she look…scared? Before Dean could question her about it though, he heard a small, high-pitched voice. "Mommy!" Dean turned to see the owner of the voice. A small boy, not more than four, was bounding towards them, a huge smile on his face. Carmen scooped him up and twirled him around.

"Hey buddy! Miss me?" she asked snuggling him. The kid giggled a response but Dean didn't hear him. He was too preoccupied by what he had said a moment previously. Mommy? Did that kid just call Carmen mommy? He turned to Sam who jerked his head to the side and raised his eyebrows as if to ask, "did you know?" Dean just shook his head. No he didn't know. What else didn't he know? Did she have a husband? Did his one-night stand just become an affair?

Dean turned his attention back to Carmen and her…son. Just as she turned her attention back to them. Immediately her expression turned from exhilarated happiness to one of concern.

"Guys, this is Ben. My son." She paused as if to let that information sink in. Then she turned to the child in her arms, "Ben, this is Dean and Sam. They're…" she hesitated for a second, "…friends of mine. Do you wanna say hi?"

"Hello" he said smiling his big smile, his mother's smile Dean noted, at the brothers.

"Hey Ben." Sam smiled back. Dean however, just nodded. Carmen, who was looking at Dean during this whole exchange now turned back to her child.

"Ben why don't you go inside and play while mommy talks to Dean and Sam." She said putting the kid down. Who promptly ran into the living room to continue whatever he was doing before they walked in. That's when Dean noticed another person in the room, he hadn't noticed her with all that was going on.

"Maya, thank you so much. I hope he wasn't much trouble." Carmen said to the middle-aged woman standing in the archway.

"No no of course not. I love that kid, you know that." Said Maya, making her way to the door. "I'll leave you to it then."

The departure of Maya, left three of them in the most uncomfortable silence of Dean's life. No one knew where to look or what to say. Sam opened his mouth a few times but seemed to think the better of it.

A few moments later, Carmen turned to Sam, "Sam do you mind if I talk to Dean in private for a minute?"

"Oh, no of course. I'll umm keep Ben company." He said making his way into the living room. Carmen smiled gratefully. As soon as Sam was out of earshot, Dean turned to Carmen, "you have a son?" he aggressively whispered. "A son? An actual human kid? You are a mom? What the actual fuck Carmen?"

"I wanted to tell you," she said defensively, "but I thought it would be easier and better if I showed you instead."

"Easier than 'Oh by the way Dean I'm a mother of a toddler, and we live in the fucking suburbs'?" Dean asked incredulously, "How is that not easier than driving 6 hours?"

Carmen was pinching the bridge of her nose, her eyes tight shut.

"Do you also have a husband that's gonna pop out of the houseplants?" asked Dean.

Carmen jerked her head up in confusion, "a husband? What…no. No husband, just a kid. Its just me and Ben."

That was a relief to Dean. He hadn't had an affair with a married woman, that's one less problem he had to take on. God knows he has enough.

"Great." He paused, "Why did you bring me here?"

Carmen tilted her head to the side, her forehead wrinkled and she shook her head in exasperation. "Wow you really are completely clueless aren't you?"

That's when something clicked in Dean's head. A thousand questions had flooded his head when he saw Ben, but he didn't think to ask himself the most important question. The most obvious one.

He looked at Carmen, "how old his he?" he asked.

Carmen sighed, "He's four," she said. But her eyes answered his unspoken question, _"Yes"._


	3. Chapter 2

Dean was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring at the small four-year-old boy in front of him. Ben was hunched over a paper, his face contorted in concentration as his chubby hand coloured away. Sam was in the kitchen with Carmen. Dean wondered what she was telling him, what his reaction would be.

He looked at Ben. Really looked at him, for the first time since he sat down ten minutes ago. There was a bit of Carmen here and there. In his expressions, his smile. The immense concentration with which he worked on his masterpiece. But mostly, he was Dean. He had dirty-blonde hair that stood up in spikes, big, bright green eyes, even his nose. "Mini me" Dean said under his breath. There was not a shadow of a doubt that Ben was his son. _His son! _He, Dean Winchester, was a father. He expected to feel dread, fear. That was the sensible reaction wasn't it? He should be bolting through the door. Then why wasn't he? He looked at Ben and tried to analyze his feelings. He didn't feel dread or fear. Once the initial shock subsided, he realized he felt…happy. And kinda proud. Is that weird? Why does he feel proud of a son he just found out he had? Or was he proud of himself? As he rationalized these thoughts, Sam walked in, followed by Carmen carrying a few beers. She gave one to Sam, then Dean avoiding his gaze. Determined to look anywhere else. She put the rest on the table and went to Ben.

"Hey honey, why don't we get you some lunch? Sam and Dean have a lot to talk about." She said picking Ben up and placing him on her hip, she still wouldn't look at Dean.

"But I'm drawing!" Ben wailed.

"You can finish it after lunch." She said carrying a very upset looking Ben out of the room.

Dean sipped on his beer. It was his favorite, Corona del Sol, but he barely tasted it. He waited for Sam to speak first.

"So," he started, Dean turned to look at his little brother. "You have a son." Sam said the words slowly and with care, he looked worried and cautious.

"Yeah." Dean couldn't think of anything else to say.

"And," Sam continued, "how do we feel about that?"

"I don't know man. I feel like I should be running for the hills but…"

"But what?"

"I don't want to." Dean resolved. He didn't want to run. He wanted to be a father. He wanted a son. "I'm a dad. And I feel," he grinned, "kinda happy. I mean I'm also terrified, I don't know jack shit about being a dad. And there's the whole being a hunter thing but. This is…" he shrugged his shoulders trailing off.

Sam smiled at his brother, "well I'm glad. I mean I would've understood either decision but, I'm proud of you for making this one."

The two of them took sips from their beers. They sat like that for a few minutes before Sam spoke up again. "You should go talk to Carmen. Just because you want to be a dad doesn't mean she wants that too. Plus there's the logistics of the whole situation." Dean hadn't thought of that. Does Carmen really not want him in Ben's life? Maybe that was why she so nervous and reluctant.

"Why did she say something to you?" Dean asked Sam.

"No but you know. You haven't been in touch for four years. She's raised him on her own. And she's doing well. Really well." Sam answered waving his hands at the house.

Dean got up off the couch and walked to the kitchen. He used the trip to look around the house. On the right of the foyer were the living room and a door, which Dean decided must have been the guest bedroom. The kitchen was to the right. As he walked towards the kitchen he heard giggling. He stopped at the archway and peeped in. Ben was sitting in a baby chair at the kitchen island. He was throwing what looked like peanuts at Carmen, who was trying to catch them in her mouth. Every time she got one they'd both whoop for joy. Dean smiled as he watched this family moment. Sam was right, she was good with him. It felt wrong to intrude on their private moment, but he pressed on anyway. Carmen looked up immediately, her expression changed to one that was completely unreadable.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey. Mind if I join you?" I asked, "I bet I can do better than you." I grinned with sudden inspiration. Carmen never backed down from a bet.

She narrowed her eyes at me, "you're on!"

Ben giggled as the adults took their positions. It was the most competitive game of catching-peanuts-with-your-mouth ever played and by the end all three of them were in fits of laughter.

"I win." Said Dean wiping a tear from his eye.

"Nah uh no way," replied a breathless Carmen, "I got way more than you."

Dean turned to Ben, "What d'you think Ben? Who one?"

Ben made his concentration face as he picked a winner, after a few seconds, "Deeann" he shouted.

"Ha Ha Yes!" Dean bellowed triumphant, he bent down and scooped Ben out of the baby chair and spun him around. Ben started giggling. Dean decided it was his new favorite sound. He stopped spinning and turned around to see Carmen looking at him. Just looking, like she was observing them. Dean put Ben down, who scurried out of the room.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, half expecting her to shake her head and say nothing.

"You." She replied. "You continue to surprise me Dean Winchester. When I told you about Ben, or rather when you figured out, I expected you to run out that door. I was bracing myself to never hear from you again but…here you are." She finished pointing at him.

"Here I am. In your kitchen, playing with the son I didn't know I had." He replied, "why didn't you tell me?"

Carmen shrugged her shoulders and walked to the small dining table in the middle of the kitchen. "What would I have said?" she asked sitting down, "how would I have told you? We didn't part on the best of terms, I was pretty sure you never wanted to see me again. Plus I didn't know you'd react. Like I said I expected you to run."

Dean contemplated that for a second and sat down next to her.

"Also," she continued, "I want to keep him as far away as I possibly can from…you know…my 'work'. And you are kind of dead center of it."

This he understood. It's exactly what he would've done. He would never put a child through what he went through.

"Then why tell me now?"

Carmen sighed, "I wasn't going to at first. I didn't see the point. But a few weeks ago, Ben started asking questions. About his dad. And I didn't know what to say. I thought about it for a while, I considered telling him the truth but…" she shook her head. "And then, for the first time in a very long time I thought about you. And I realized I was being selfish and that you had a right to know. To have Ben in your life, not have him that was your choice but I had the responsibility to give you that choice."

Dean nodded, "So what did you tell him about his dad?"

Carmen looked up and smiled, "I told him the truth. Well some of it. I told him his father was a very important person and that a lot of people needed him in their lives so he was very busy. And that maybe, if we wished really really hard he might come home." The two of them looked at each other as she said this.

Dean smiled at her, "a very important person huh?"

Carmen frowned, shaking her head. "Really? That's what you take away from this? I tell you-"

"I want this Carmen" Dean interrupted her, "I want to be a Dad."

"Okay" she said, tearing up.


	4. Chapter 3

_"He wants this. He wants to be a part of our lives."_ Carmen rejoiced to herself. Her son was finally going to have a father. She wasn't alone in this anymore. She sat there and tried to compose herself as the happy tears threatened to spill over.

"Should we go talk to him? I mean should we tell him or…" Dean looked confused.

"I don't know." I confessed. There wasn't exactly a book I could consult, 'How do you tell your son the strange man who walked through the door is his father?' with added bonus chapters of 'How to deal with him being your hunter ex-boyfriend with serious abandonment issues.' God she would read the hell out of those.

"I guess we should. Do you wanna do it?" she asked hoping to pass off the responsibility. She really wasn't ready to shield all his questions. She was so sure Dean would run that she never considered what would happen if he actually stayed.

Dean looked mortified at the prospect of telling his son that he was, well, his son. "Together?" he suggested.

"Together." Carmen agreed.

The two of them made their way to the living room. Ben was sitting on Sam's lap. They seemed to be in deep conversation. "But why are you so big?" Ben wanted to know. Sam leaned in and whispered in his ear, "because I'm half-giant."

Ben's eyes widened and his mouth formed a little 'O'. "Cool" he breathed. "Mom, did you know he's a giant?"

"Half-giant" Sam corrected him.

"I did," Carmen said as she picked him up. "Umm Ben, honey, there's something we need to talk to you about."

Sam made a motion to get up and leave but Carmen waved him down. "No Sam stay. This involves you too."

Carmen and Dean sat on the couch with Ben between them. Neither knew how to start. Sam was looking from one to the other, feeling the most awkward. Like he was intruding on a private, family moment.

Carmen took a deep breath and decided to go for it, "Ben, you remember when you asked me about your dad and I told you that if you wished hard enough he might turn up?" Ben nodded.

"Well…" she nodded towards Dean, "these aren't actually my friends. Well, they are but. Dean is actually…your dad. And Sam is your uncle." She looked expectantly at Ben.

Who turned his attention to the man sitting next to him, "you're my dad?" he asked with the innocent curiosity only a child could have.

"Yeah buddy. I'm your dad." Dean replied looking for some kind of clue as to how Ben felt about it.

But Ben just nodded. "Okay" he said looking from Carmen to Dean. Carmen relaxed, and let go of the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

'Okay' was good. They could work with okay.

xxxx

Carmen rested her head on one of the plush cushions on her couch. What a day it's been. Dean had taken Ben out on a drive to talk 'man-to-man'. Ben perked up in excitement when he heard those words. Why do kids always want to grow up? Sam walked in carrying to beers, he handed her one.

"Quite a day huh?" he asked as he plopped down beside her.

"Oh yeah." Carmen said taking a swig of her beer. "But I have to say it went SO much better than I expected." She was relieved. She felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. A burden she didn't even know she was carrying.

"How do you feel about this?" she asked Sam. She realized she had never stopped to ask him.

"What d'you mean? It doesn't really involve me." He replied.

"What are you talking about?" Carmen asked confused, "of course it involves you. You're Dean's family. The most important person in his life." Sam scoffed.

"No you are. You don't understand what you mean to him Sam. Plus I want you in this too. I want Ben to get to know his uncle. For some reason I feel your going to be a more grounding influence in his life than his father." They both laughed at this.

"True. Very true." He paused, "you really want me here?"

"Yes" Carmen insisted, "I want Ben to have a family. And I've grown quite fond of you Sam. I can see why Dean won't shut up about his high-flying little brother." Carmen smiled.

Sam looked at Carmen, "thanks. That really means a lot to me." Carmen was taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. She couldn't understand why this was such big deal to him. What did he think that I'd kick him to the curb?

Before Carmen could question him on this, the door opened and in walked Dean carrying Ben, who in turn was carrying an ice-cream cone the size of his head.

"Mommy, we got ice-cream!" he smiled his big toothy smile.

"I can see that," Carmen laughed, "did you guys have a good time?" she asked pointedly looking at Dean.

"Yeah we had a great time didn't we buddy?" Ben just nodded, too busy with his gigantic ice-cream cone.

Carmen dropped her voice as she asked, "what did you say to him?"

"Relax," Dean comforted her, "nothing he shouldn't know. I handled it." He looked thoroughly proud of his afternoon of parenting.

Carmen breathed a sigh of relief.

"We should probably find a motel, we'll come back first thing." Said Dean.

"Motel?" Carmen asked, "why would you go to a motel? You guys can stay in the guest bedroom."

"Oh. Are you sure?"

"Of course. There's no need to go to a motel." Carmen affirmed.


	5. Chapter 4

Hey everyone! So I'm still testing the water with this one so any and all feedback would be much appreciated :) I've decided to stick with the original timeline and kind of squeeze this in...we'll see how it works out.

All suggestions are welcome, I haven't thought too far after this so if you have any ideas...:)

* * *

Dean collapsed onto the bed and put his arms over his eyes. He had gone from single and carefree to father to a toddler in the matter of one afternoon. All things considered Dean was pretty proud of the way he was handling himself. But now came the tricky part. Actually being a parent. It wasn't easy to comprehend especially seeing as all his parenting expertise came from -

"DAD!" Dean jolted awake. He had completely forgotten about his father. "What about him?" Sam asked from the bathroom doorway.

Dean turned to look at his brother, "you don't think dad's going to freak out a little?" he asked incredulously. "I'm pretty sure he will be pissed off beyond belief."

"I don't know Dean, maybe he'll be happy." Sam said, but he didn't look too hopeful.

Dean groaned as he crashed back onto the bed.

"Don't worry man, we'll deal with it when we come to it." Sam tried to comfort his brother. "But for now lets focus on your parenting skills. And…" he trailed off looking for the right words, "…your situation?"

Dean pulled himself up onto his elbows and looked at his brother. "Situation?" he asked.

"Yeah I mean, truth be told I don't really understand how this works right now. I mean Carmen is still hunting and she's not taking Ben along. How does that work?"

Dean rubbed his eyes and yawned as he answered his brother, "Yeah no I asked her about that. That lady that was here when we came in? Maya. She looks after Ben when Carmen is 'away'. Apparently she's a seer so she knows all about the 'biz. And she also said something about doing just one case every few weeks, as far as she can help it."

"Oh. Okay. Wow she really has this figured out huh?" Sam commented. "And how are you gonna fit in? I mean have you two talked about…well, you two? I mean are you looking for a relationship, are you going to move in?" Sam asked, looking quite doubtful that the answer would be in the affirmative. He knew his brother. He would never admit his true feelings.

Dean thought back to the conversation he'd had with Carmen after dinner. Carmen had made spaghetti and meatballs. Who knew she could cook too.

"I want to make sure we're on the same page about this." She started. "You want Ben in your life and that's great but we," she gestured to the two of them "are not a thing. At least not until we figure out whatever this is." She flayed her arms around.

"Okay. And then what?" He'd asked.

Carmen sighed and shook her head, "One day at a time Dean."

Dean came back to the present and looked at Sam. "No, as of right now we are simply two people who happen to be the parents of the same kid."

Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean, "and how do you feel about that?"

"Really Sam?" Dean asked his brother. "What d'you wanna talk feelings and braid each others hair? Why don't we put on face masks while we're at it!" he stormed into the bathroom.

Sam rolled his eyes in exasperation, "come one Dean! You like her don't you?"

"I am not having this conversation again" Dean replied as he shut the bathroom door on his brother's face.

He turned around to face the mirror. Yup, he liked her alright. She wasn't the same Carmen he'd met four years ago. She was better. But she was right. They couldn't just pick up from where they left off. They needed time, to figure everything out. To figure out their lives and the parts they played. They needed time to learn how to be a family. Then maybe, maybe, eventually they could get to that point. But until then, one day at a time.

xxxxxx

Carmen yawned as she made her way to her bedroom. She just realised how tired she was, which wasn't surprising considering the day she'd had. Too many confessions and confrontations. She groaned as she realised tomorrow would be more of the same. More of figuring this out. Whatever this was. As she slipped under the sheets she thought back to her after dinner conversation with Dean. Did she do the right thing? It's not like she didn't want him. God, did she want him; but this was not the way. Things were complicated enough as it was, they didn't need to add their tumultuous relationship to the mix. Especially not when Ben was now smack in the middle of it. Nope, whatever happened Ben always came first.

Then there was the whole deal with Dean's dad. Carmen gave a dejected sigh as she remembered John Winchester. There weren't many people that Carmen stubbornly disliked, but John Winchester was one of them. Sure he was a great hunter, he fully deserved 'the best' title. But as a person. Well to put it lightly, he sucked. They had worked together for months, but Carmen still hadn't managed to gain his trust. Not that she hadn't tried, she would do everything to try and get him to like her. He was practically a legend after all. But to no avail. She even saved his sons ass. This must have counted for something because he did let her tag along and finish the hunt with them. But that something that completely blew up in her face when he thought she was trying to steal his son from him. Frankly, Carmen was surprised to see any emotion rise up in Sr. Winchester as he treated Dean less like a son and more like a…well…soldier. Carmen had found the whole situation downright dysfunctional.

This was one of the reasons she didn't want to tell Dean about Ben in the first place. Not that she'd ever tell Dean but she'd always feared that Dean might do to Ben what John did to his kids. She knew Dean quite well and that he actually hated this life. He once told her he tried to keep Sam away from this life for as long as he could. Still she couldn't help it, she was still wary. But meeting him in Missouri, talking to him something in her gut told her to go for it. She just hoped her gut was right.


End file.
